Hilfe German · revision 35218

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *helpaną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈhɪlfə/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Hilfe''' ''f'' (genitive Hilfe, plural Hilfen)^(Wiktionary)

+ Luther's Central German form ''Hülfe'' prevailed from the 16th century until Adelung and Campe.^(Paul 2002)^(DWB|10, 1323) ''Hilfe'' became binding with the 9th edition of the Duden in 1915.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|hilfe]] (also [[m|gmh|helfe]]), [[inh|goh|hilfa]] (also [[m|goh|helfa]]), [[inh|gem-pro|*helpō|t=help]], an action noun from the strong verb [[helfen]].^(Kluge 2011|416)^(EWA|4, 930)^(Pfeifer 1993) The older form, with /e/, is the same word as [[osx|helpa]], [[ofs|helpe]], [[ang|help]] and [[non|hjǫlp]].^(Kluge 2011|416)^(Pfeifer 1993) The form with /i/, recorded from the 9th century, took its vowel from the present forms of the verb, such as the third person singular.^(Kluge 2011|416)^(Wiktionary) A third form with /u/, [[odt|hulpa]] and [[m|gmh|hülfe]], is continued in [[nl|hulp]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|370)

+

+ The verb is [[gem-pro|*helpaną]], also in [[got|𐌷𐌹𐌻𐍀𐌰𐌽|tr=hilpan]], [[ang|helpan]] and [[non|hjalpa]].^(Kluge 2011|409) It has no exact match outside Germanic: Kluge considers [[lt|šelpti|alt=šel̃pti|t=to support, help]] and a link with [[ine-pro|*ḱel-|t=to hide, protect]], the root of [[hehlen]].^(Kluge 2011|409)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''helfa'' is recorded from the 8th century in the Abrogans and other glosses, and then in the Benedictine Rule, the Murbach Hymns, Otfrid and Notker.^(EWA|4, 930)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Schützeichel 2012|147) It meant “help, assistance, support, protection”, also “reinforcements”, and appears in phrases such as ''zi helfo queman'' “to come to someone's aid”.^(EWA|4, 930)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle High German the word could also mean a levy or tax, a compensation, and a helper.^(Lexer 1872|1, 1229)^(Köbler MHD) The use for a helping person survives in compounds such as [[Aushilfe]] and ''Sprechstundenhilfe'', while the helper is otherwise [[Helfer]] or [[Gehilfe]].^(Duden 7 2020|370)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ Paul records ''jemandem zu Hilfe kommen'' from Stieler and the cry ''zu Hilfe!'' from ''The Magic Flute'',^(Paul 2002) and ''erste Hilfe'' is first aid at an accident.^(Paul 2002) ''Hilfsmittel'' is recorded in 1581, and ''Hilfsleistung'' in the 16th century;^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) the grammatical term ''Hilfszeitwort'' was preferred by Campe in 1808 where Adelung had written ''Hülfswort'', and is now usually ''Hilfsverb''.^(Paul 2002) An Upper Silesian Polish ''hilfka'' names a school for children with learning difficulties.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''helfa'' appears in the glosses.^(Kluge 2011|416)^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 9th century – The form ''hilfa'' is recorded.^(Kluge 2011|416)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – Luther spreads the form ''Hülfe''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|10, 1323)

+ * 1581 – ''Hilfsmittel'' is recorded.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1808 – Campe prefers ''Hilfszeitwort'' to ''Hülfswort''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1915 – The Duden makes ''Hilfe'' the only correct spelling.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|help]], [[m|en|assistance]]: acting to support someone;^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary) ''mit Hilfe der Nachbarn'', ''um Hilfe rufen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Financial [[m|en|aid]], support in money.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(riding, usually plural)'' The rider's [[m|en|aids]]: signals given to the horse by leg pressure, weight and reins.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # A helping means or device; a [[m|en|helper]], assistant: ''sie ist mir eine große Hilfe in der Küche''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(computing)'' The help function of a program.^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Gehilfe]]

+ * [[hilflos]]

+ * [[Hilflosigkeit]]

+ * [[hilfreich]]

+ * [[Hilfeleistung]]

+ * [[Abhilfe]]

+ * [[Aushilfe]]

+ * [[Beihilfe]]

+ * [[Nachhilfe]]

+ * [[Selbsthilfe]]

+ * [[Mithilfe]]

+ * [[Hilferuf]]

+ * [[Hilfsmittel]]

+ * [[Hilfsverb]]

+ * [[Entwicklungshilfe]]

+ * [[Sterbehilfe]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mithilfe]]

+ * [[helfen]]

+ * [[Helfer]]

+ * [[behilflich]]

+ * [[en|help]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Erste Hilfe'' is the first aid given by a layperson at an accident, before medical treatment.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Mit Hilfe'' is also written as one word, ''mithilfe''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}